Site Analysis

A preliminary visit to the project location will add a context to your desk research. Follow up the research with a more detailed visit to determine specific site and/or building conditions.

Documents

Local authority information:

• district plan (information about zoning/restrictions on building and land use, envelope restrictions, site coverage, side yards and protected trees)
• land information memorandum (LIM)
• plans of the neighbourhood showing adjacent buildings, services (water, sewage and stormwater, including mains crossing the property), and roading.
• past building and resource consent plans, consent applications, and code compliance certificates
• past resource consent applications and permits
• aerial photographs of the site and surroundings
• contour maps
• information about neighbouring properties that might affect the site – e.g. what development may be permitted on neighbouring sites.

Legal information:

• certificate of title (Land Information NZ) defining the property’s legal description and identifying caveats and easements
• deposited plan (for property boundaries)
• development covenants (usually as part of a sale and purchase agreement)

Other documents (which you may have to pay for) include:

• hazard report (Property Insight)
• climate data (NIWA National Climate Centre)
• sun bearings (see Land Information NZ’s astronomical information web page)
• aerial photographs and geographic information (from the local authority, Google Earth, Terralink’s terranet service or fisheye property search software)
• existing property inspection, site survey or soil investigation reports if the property owner has these; they can be commissioned if not
• site investigation of ground conditions using the guide in NZBC B1 – Structure Verification Method B1/VM4 – Appendix A.

Site visits

Take:

• sketchbook
• compass
• camera
• tape measure
• dumpy and staff
• stepladder
• shovel

Look at:

• views
• landforms – slopes, stability, features (excavations, fill, banks or cliffs)
• adjacent properties – what they are used for, what is built on them (height, scale and style), and impact of the proposed building on neighbours
• potential noise sources
• natural landscape elements
• areas of shade and what is causing it
• wind strength and directions, including site specific exposure (identify also the cold wind direction and the direction most of the rain comes from)
• soil types
• evidence of drainage paths and watercourses
• evidence of flooding or groundwater, poor soil stability
• potential building positions
• location of boundary pegs if they can be found
• signs to confirm location of council and utility services e.g. manholes, telephone connection points (do power, water and sewages services cross the site?)
• suitable site access points e.g. the vehicle crossing may already be formed
• are cell phone towers, high tension power lines or substations within 300 m of the site?

Talk with neighbours about the weather, local annoyances, what major events have occurred in the past and what they know of local development proposals.

Talk with your client about the weather and other conditions they have experienced when they have visited the site.

Modelling and analysis

Once the relevant information has been obtained, the features of the site can be recorded and analysed. This can be presented to your client as part of the initial stages of design development. Options for presenting a site analysis include:

• sketches showing views, wind and rain directions, features (trees, banks), north point, sun angles
• a computer generated model using 3D software such as Google Sketchup Pro, ArchiCAD or Autodesk Revit.
• a physical 3D model.